"Kooy must by now have appeared in more Bach cantata recordings than any other solo singer in history, and even in 1991 when these recordings were made he was an experienced Bach singer of immense authority. His performances of these soul-searching, inward-looking works are stamped with a level of technical command and sensitivity that renders more obvious gesture superfluous. This is masterly and utterly compelling singing." -- Brian Robins, FANFARE [7/2001, reviewing BWV 56, 82, & 158]

"[T]he cantatas are sparsely scored for strings and continuo, but each of the composers makes the most of these modest resources via imaginative writing... These readings are models of their kind. Pitch and ensemble are consistently on the mark and the singers are most responsive to Herreweghe’s leadership, resulting in wholly musical and totally sympathetic accounts that are void of academic characteristics and that bring belated credit to these neglected works. What emerges from the 75-minute run of this CD is not music that will challenge the pride of place in the repertoire held by Bach’s cantatas, but music that offers an intimate thumbnail sketch of four important pre-Bach composers whose works should be on the shelf of every lover of vocal music from this period. Therefore, I gladly admit them to our Classical Hall of Fame." -- Michael Carter, FANFARE [reviewing the works by Tunder, Kuhnau, Bruhns, & Graupner]

Philippe Herreweghe is widely considered to be one of the foremost Bach interpreters of our time. This deluxe CD-Book collection is part of the Philippe Herreweghe Bach Edition, and features key works from the Bach canon. Each set in the series is available at a very special low price and features packaging and liner-notes on a par with the best that Harmonia Mundi offers. These sets are a rare bargain and a must-have for collectors.